Mangano Sets 911 Repairs in Motion

Vows to provide Nassau with more reliable 911 system

After a brutal nor’easter swept through the region last month and overloaded Nassau County’s 911 call center, County Executive Ed Mangano has announced that he will reallocate $7 million of the 2010 capital plan to the County’s new 911 operations at the County’s new Public Safety Center (PSC) in Westbury.

Nassau's harsh storms revealed a disturbing weakness in our 911 system, which Mangano vowed to correct in the immediate aftermath of the storm. “Despite the economic hardships facing the County, I have found a way to swiftly correct this potentially dangerous condition,” said Mangano.

As part of a plan to reallocate funds from the 2010 capital plan to more timely projects, Mangano earmarked $7 million for the call center at the PSC. The cost includes an upgrade to the system, infrastructure, networking and software.

“The men and women who staff our current 911 center have done their best with a bad situation,” said Mangano. “This week, as relentless rains soaked Nassau County, workers had to construct a makeshift method of keeping the rain from pouring down on the computers and the staff. That just cannot stand.”

The new PSC will have 38 console positions, a major increase over the 19 that currently comprise the 911 center.

“Our plan doubles the capacity of 911 call in take and is an important step toward preparedness and a call to action,” said Mangano. “Today, the project advances.”

The new consoles, made by Adaptaspace, will also be larger and feature modern technology.

“Both the increased call-taker seats and additional lines will insure 911 emergency calls are answered by 911 operators during periods of high demand, like we saw in the March nor’easter,” said Mangano.

Currently, 911 operators handle from 2,000 to 2,400 calls during an average 24-hour period. During events like the March storm, said Mangano, the 911 call-takers handled more than 11,000 calls. When the system became overburdened, many calls were routed to Suffolk County and as far away as Albany.

“We will not sacrifice public safety,” said Mangano. “The events of the March storm served as a warning.”